JournalismPakistan.com | Published 3 years ago | Cherie Conela
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplaces, Kashmala Tariq has ordered the termination of a senior PEMRA official for sexually harassing a female employee and Rs 2 million in compensation to the victim.
According to the ombudsperson, a woman working at Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) headquarters in Islamabad on a contingent basis had filed an online complaint with the ombudsperson on January 20, 2020. She accused Director General Haji Adam of harassing her.
Quoting the complainant, the order said that when she refused "sexual favours," his behavior turned "rude, disgusting and demeaning" towards her.
"Bringing all the pieces of evidence together [...] the complainant has proved her allegation that [Adam] sexually harassed her [at] her workplace on November 11, 2019," the order said.
Adam failed to substantiate his stance that he had been falsely implicated in the case by the complainant "at the instigation and conspiracy of someone else," it added.
The ombudsperson said the action was to be taken under the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010 and directed that he be dismissed from service and pay Rs2m in compensation to the complainant.
She also declared another PEMRA official, Fakhruddin Mughal, as having been proven to be "a facilitator" of Adam and ruled that he, too, was to face action under the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010.
Kashmala Tariq ordered Mughal's demotion along with a payment of Rs500,000 in compensation to the complainant.
The ombudsperson directed the PEMRA management to submit a compliance report within seven days after receiving the order.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.
October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.
October 30, 2025: The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistan’s worsening media crisis and financial instability.
October 28, 2025: Sindh Police arrested four suspects linked to a banned outfit in the murder of journalist Imtiaz Mir, who was shot in Karachi in September 2025.
October 26, 2025: Riffat Ara Alvi, the mother of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, has died, ending her relentless fight for justice following his killing in Kenya in 2022.
November 01, 2025 Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for extremism and defaming the president, highlighting Minsk’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom.
November 01, 2025 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran was found murdered in Durango. CPJ urges authorities to ensure justice amid rising violence against journalists in Mexico.
November 01, 2025 UNESCO survey finds one-third of media lawyers cannot effectively defend journalists due to threats, limited resources, and lack of specialization.
October 31, 2025 Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded broadcaster covering tightly controlled Asian media environments, has suspended all news operations after federal funding dried up.
October 30, 2025 PSL franchise fees lag far behind IPL's USD 18.5B valuation as Pakistan Cricket Board's bureaucratic grip stifles growth. Hard numbers expose a stark reality.